Before
by im-not-short-im-average
Summary: This is the story of the mother of the boy who lived. It will show all of Lily Evans time at Hogwarts. Mainly Lily perspective but I hope to add some Snape and James later. I'll try to stay close to canon.
1. Beginnings

Everything here belongs to Jkr, I own nothing

Lily Evans ran up the hill to the small playground at the top of it. She had begged her sister to come with her say that the boy they had met there earlier wouldn't hurt them and surely if Lily was a witch then her sister must be too. Petunia simply told her that she was to young to understand these things and once she was older she'd understand more complex matters. Petunia was nine, Lily was just two years younger.

When Lily reached the top of the hill her heart sank, the boy she saw they day before was not there, and if there was such thing as magic like he said he should have been able to tell that he was coming. Despondently she sank down on one of the swings. She swung lightly digging her feet into the dirt.

"Hello" a shy voice came from behind her. Lily jumped off here swing and turn around to see the boy from earlier.

" Oh, I didn't mean to scare you. M-my name is Severus... Snape," he spoke hesitantly like he wasn't used to telling people his name or even talking to them.

Lily who was very used to talking introduced herself, "My name is Lily Evans, Do you live around here? Is it true what you said about magic, Tunney said it isn't, Petunia my sister I know we don't look alike but we are. Do you think she's magic too?"

Severus looked both parts terrified and thrilled that he had someone to talk to and tell about magic, but more that he had the possibility of a friend.

" Could you maybe asked one question at a time," he said with a small smile which Lily returned though much larger.

Lily took a deep breath and began to speak as slowly as she could, "Well most importantly, is magic real?"

"Yes," Snape said confidently

" Is Tunney magic to?" Lily said

" Depends, how old is she?"

"Eleven, two years older than me,"

Snape cringed, "No, she not magic all students get their to Hogwarts at age eleven.

Lily deflated a bit at this, but she pushed to the back of her head, now she was too excited to learn about the world of magic.

Lily lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling, Sev had assured her that being muggle born didn't make any difference but she couldn't help feeling that it would. She knew she was talented. But Tunney had reacted so badly to her abilities then what would stop some pure-blood (she hated the word the moment Sev had told her) from hating her because she came from a non magic family. She hadn't told her parents yet, we was scared they think this was all some childish fancy, she'd wait till she got her letter. Here birthday was coming up she'd be eleven then and her letter would come that summer. She was snapped out of her haze of thought be here mother calling, "Lily darling, your friend his here."  
"Coming Mum" she called back.  
It was the bleak midwinter so Lily grabbed here coat and scarf. Once she got down stairs she smiled at Severus as she pulled up her boats. She followed here friend out the door, there she got a proper look at him. His hair hung limp around his face, his sharp cheekbone casting shadows on his sallow skin. But his sunken dark eyes had a spark in them a whole world that Lily couldn't wait to discover.  
"Come on" Lily said grabbing his gloveless hand

It was a short walk to the playground, once the hand found a comfortable spot to sit Severus pulled out a book from an worn bag, in faded letters it said, "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1"  
"This is the book we'll you first year!" he said excitedly. Lily looked wide eyed at it and gently took it from her friends had. The book was falling apart and was now held together by tape, but for here this was the greatest book that had every been. She opened the book, it fell to the page with the Wand-Lighting Charm under it read "The Wand-Lighting Charm is simple, but requires concentration. Take care not to accidentally set your wand alight as damage of this kind can be permanent. If in any doubt about your abilities you would do better to buy yourself a magic lantern." Lily laughed, here school book never joked about the subject like this one. She read the page aloud to Sev, he listen dutifully but Lily knew that he had probably read all about this spell before.

They sat there for hours reading to each other about the spells, talking about what house they wanted to be in, Severus said that he would be in Slytherin and that it was the best house. Lily knowing he was biased and didn't describe the houses fairly but she wanted to be were her friend was and Slytherin would be where she wanted to go. But Lily had to go home once it was dark and in England in the winter that was quite early. She hugged her friend tightly as she said goodbye and promised to meet him after school tomorrow.


	2. Last Day of School

It was Lily's last day of school and if she got excepted into Hogwarts her last day of muggle school. Once she asked Sev why he didn't go to school like her, he said he tried to once and hated it, so he was taught by his mother. Lily had never met his parents. She knew Severus's father was quite cruel towards him so that gave her no reason to want to meet him except to yell at him for being such a horrible person. Sev's mother on the other hand was a completely different story, she was a witch and Lily longed to meet her, but every time Lily asked to meet them he'd get terribly upset so she thought it was better just to drop it.

Lily had rounded the corner to the gate of the school house and saw that Severus was sitting out waiting for her. The moment she saw him she ran up to him ignoring the odd look some of the other students shot at her.  
" How was you last day?" he asked brightly  
" Wonderful, it felt odd when all the other kid were saying see you next year. Do you really think I'll get in"  
" Of course you will you have loads of magic how many times do I have to tell you"  
They started walking down the road to Lily's house, they were about half way there when they began talking again,  
" I just can't believe magic is all real, you get told your whole life that it isn't and suddenly you pop out of a bush and tell me I'm a witch." said Lily  
Severus smiled and spoke, " Well it's real for us not for some but for us it is, I can't believe I've known you from almost two years."  
" Ya," Lily mumbled.

They were sitting in Lily's living room drinking lemonade and eating cake that here mother had made for a special last day of school treat. Lily's mother was a kind woman who resembled her daughter greatly. Mrs. Evans was small and petite like her daughter, she was quite beautiful and kind like her daughter, and both had the same dark red hair. The only difference was that she had large round grey eyes. Lily had her father's eyes. These were eyes you'd remember for the rest of you life even if you only saw them once, the were almond shape and were a remarkable shade of almond green. But like her father she had a strong sense of morals and once you broke her trust it was not easily regain. Both her mother and father liked Severus a great deal, once they caught over the shabbiness of his appearance they thought he was a polite clever boy who was very fond of Lily. Petunia on the other had hated the boy (as she would call him).

The young witch and wizard were sitting on floor enjoying their cake talking about what Lily had down at school that day when Petunia came through the door. She was in secondary school so had a longer walk home than Lily did and when she saw her sister and her friend sitting on the floor she looked at them as if they were a stain on the carpet.  
" What is he doing here?" she said like she was asking why a pile garbage was doing in her sitting room.  
" Because he's my friend," answered Lily  
" Why do you have to be friends with such a-a abnormality?" Petunia said harshly  
Lily answered quickly she was not letting her sister say such terrible things unpunished, "HE"S MINE FRIEND JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND OTHER PEOPLE DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO HATE THEM!"  
Petunia huffed and stormed out of the room slamming the door.  
"Sorry," Severus mumbled  
"It's not your fault she's so mean," Lily said softly. Severus thanked Mrs. Evans for the cake and walked home.


	3. Letters

Severus Snape was awoken early on a midsummer mourning to a tapping on his window. He sprung out of his bed to see a beautiful tawny owl with a letter in its beak. Snape quickly sprung out of bed and hurried towards the window, prying it open and snatching the letter from the owls beak. On the envelope in emerald green ink, the same color of Lily's eyes he noted were the words:

 _Severus Snape  
The Upper Bedroom, Spinners End  
Cokeworth_

His hands shook as he tore the seal of the the letter. Inside was all the information he needed to know about Hogwarts, he read each of the enclosed letter twice before quickly scampering down the stairs. His mother was standing in the kitchen scrubbing the stain out of a shirt. She was a tried looking woman, everything about her seemed to show that she was drained, probably of hope. When Severus showed her his letter it was the first time in his memory that she had ever smiled, she knelt down in front of him and said,  
"You are a Prince you come from a long line of Prince wizards and witches, don't let anyone tell you that you are less than them. You are more."  
With a squeeze of his shoulders she rose and continued her work. Severus sat there asking her a million questions about Hogwarts till finally she snapped,  
" Son, it was a long time ago, a long better time ago and it hurts me to remember," with that she returned to her wilted grey self.  
He crept out of the kitchen. When he lying on the floor of his room staring at the cracks in the ceiling when a horrible thought accord to him. What if Lily got sorted into a different house. She was clever, loyal, and brave she could easily fit in to any house and make friends with any one. At Hogwarts there would be dozens of witches and wizards what would make him special. Lily had a talent for making friends, she'd probably make dozens and all but forget about him. He assured himself that he and Lily where friends, best friends but he still had a feeling of doubt.

Lily was eating her lunch in the kitchen when there was a knock on the door. Her father got up out of her chair to open the door, a stern looking woman with brown hair and dark green robes was on the other side, " My name is Minerva Mcgonagall. I'm here to talk about your youngest daughter. May I come in?"  
Mr. Evans looked confused but stepped out of the way saying, " Yes, certainly come in,"  
Lily knew instantly what was going on, she must be a witch, and she entered the living room and sat in the chair across from her.  
Mcgonagall began speaking, "Now this might come as a shock to you but I am a teacher at a very special school for children with special gifts, and we would like you daughters to attend,"  
" What kind of gifts," said Mrs. Evans, both parents looked cautious.  
" Magic," Mcgonagall said simply.  
Both of Lily's parents gasped, Lily's father began to speak angrily but his daughter cut it, "Daddy, it's true."  
Lily's mother looked shocked and she chocked out, " Sweetheart, what are you talking about."  
Mcgonagall cut in, " Your daughter is indeed a witch, and she has been accepted to the best school for witchcraft and wizardry," she spent several minutes explaining the education she would receive and the at Hogwart, she even showed some magic to the family. All the muggles in the room began to get very excited and were trilled their daughter would be getting the finest education. Mcgonagall left with Mr. and Mrs. Evan full permission for there daughter to attend and telling them she'd had a.

Later at dinner Mrs. Evans was talking to their eldest daughter, "Darling don't you think it's wonderful that your sister magic, she will be going to the finest school up in Scotland," Petunia scowled.  
Mr. Evans piped up, " I'll miss my baby girl, but my question is how on earth did you find out"  
Lily decided to tell here parents the whole truth, " Tunney and I were playing up in the playground one day and I began to do magic on a flower, when-when Sev came out of the bushes and told me I was a witch, at first we thought he was being mean, but then he said he was a wizard," Lily's parents looked shocked "and Petunia and I left but the next day I came back and he was there and for about two years he's being telling me about the magic world."  
Lily's mother began talking excitedly, " I can't believe we have magic folks living so close, isn't that wonderful Petunia?"  
Petunia began talking for the first time that meal, " I don't see why your all so happy Lily's a witch, before this afternoon calling someone a witch was a bad thing,"  
"Now Petunia," Mr. Evans began, " I know you're just upset that your sister leaving but you'll see her during summer, Christmas, and Easter,"  
"I'm not upset!" Petunia snapped and with a swish she's stormed out of the kitchen. Lily looked terribly upset, but her mother spoke comfortably,  
"Don't worry she'll come around"

Lily couldn't sleep that night her mind kept turning no matter how hard she tried. You couldn't stand the idea of her sister hating her. Petunia was her best friend next to Sev. Finally she realized that it was already light out side. She looked out the window and she saw Severus sitting on the road in front of her house. She pulled a sweater over her head and headed out. She met Severus on the road and said, " It's really real. We're going to be wizards," and with that she hugged the boy tightly.


	4. James Potter

James Potter was a lonely child, well loved but lonely. He was the only son of parents who where richer and older than most parents usually are, so James was adored which suited him just fine. James a healthy child with round, but not fat features, knobbly knees, hazel eyes, and a mess of untidy jet black hair that he inherited from his father. James's father Charles Potter was head of the Invisibility Task Force, and his mother, Grace Potter used to be an auror until she left to full time dote of James. The Potters lived a large old gothic mansion somewhere in Wales. The exact in location was lost in time since the everyone had gotten to the location by apparation or flu powder.

James was sitting on the end of the bed examining the new Nimbus 1500, his present for his acceptance into Hogwarts. There wasn't ever the tiniest bit of doubt that James that he wasn't magic. At the age of two when his parents in a brief phase of discipline had taken away one of his favorite toys, he was so upset that it causes it toy chest to burst, at the age of four he died his mothers hair bright pink, these burst of magic accorded through most of James's childhood. He sat on the floor of the upstairs sitting room staring wide eyed at his broom,  
"Whicked," he mumbled to himself causing his dad to chuckled,  
" Can we try it out Dad," James said, bolting out of the room before his father could answer him.

James lay of the ground, he had been flying on his broom for three whole hours, and it was freaking fantastic he thought. His mother had finally coaxed him back down using lunch as a bribe. James was talking on and on about how amazing his broom was and how he would make the Quittditch team when he got to Hogwarts, he didn't here his father say that you have to be a second year to try for the team.  
" Mum weren't you on the team," James asked, he knew the story but wanted to here it again.  
" Yes I was dear, I played beater," She answered.  
Charles piped in, " In fact the moment I knew you're Mum was the one was when I saw her knock a Slytherin Seeking off his broom and cause him to loose one and chip three teeth,"  
" That was in third year," Grace said, " But he had no intention of letting me know he liked me, it wasn't until sixth year when he asked me to Hogsmeade, I saw so surprised I nearly choked on the goblet of pumpkin juice,"  
" She was joking so bad I thought I was going to be the one responsible for the death of the girl I loved,"  
" Oh don't worry my love, you will be" Grace teased.  
" If any has any chance of killing you it will be James, you'll be frighten to death the first time he does something reckless on that knew broom of his,"  
James smiled a truly terrifying mischievous smile and was off on his broom,  
His mother quickly yelled, " Darling be careful!"  
But he wasn't listening to her.

James sat on the window seat of his room staring and the moon, it was holding water. James heard a his door creak open and saw his father come in holding a large parcel wrap in brown paper.  
He spoke softly, " Son there's something I want to give you, it's been in are family for a very long time, and don't go telling you mother I gave you this or she'll have my head,"  
He passed the package, almost ceremoniously towards his only child. James tore away the paper quickly to fine an odd looking cloak,  
" Is-is this..." James whispered  
Mr. Potter smiled it was the first time he had ever seen his son speechless.  
" Yes it is that is _the_ invisibility cloak, the first one," Charles said, " Now I did a lot of things I wasn't supposed to with that cloak but I also did a lot of good and so can you,"  
He kissed his son on the top of the head and left the room.  
James sat there looking at the cloak, this was by far the best gift he had ever received and he had gotten a top of the line racing broom that day.  
For a while he sat staring at the cloak and then he turned his head and looked back out the window. The moon was higher now and there where more stars out, and James thought of a time where he's be on the Quittditch team, or of a time where he would meet a pretty girl, and of all the pranks he'd pull using this cloak. But most importantly he thought of a time he wouldn't be lonely.


End file.
